Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was a bit “meh” about caprese salads – they were always a bit underwhelming – the tomatoes mealy, the mozzarella waxy and the whole thing completely overdressed with too much balsamic vinegar, garlic or {cringe} red onions. It wasn’t until I had my first caprese salad when I was 20 years old studying abroad in Italy that I understood how good a caprese could be – the tomatoes were perfectly ripe, the mozzarella was incredibly luscious and creamy, and it was dressed simply with the most delicious, floral olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. It was heaven.

Generally speaking, however, caprese salads are somewhat season-specific – they are best enjoyed during the summer months when tomatoes and basil are at their prime. I was delighted to come across a version of a caprese salad at Pizzeria Mozza {I am admittedly obsessed with the brilliant Nancy Silverton}, that could transcend all seasons. A bed of velvety Burrata cheese is drizzled with a chunky basil and parsley pesto and crowned with slow roasted cherry tomatoes, still on the vine. Slow roasting transforms even lackluster winter tomatoes into sweet, slightly burnished gems that are literally bursting at the seams with flavor. Savoring this wonderfully harmonious take on a traditional caprese made me feel as giddily excited as when I ate a true caprese for the first time.

Recipe continued after the jump…

Recipe

Pesto Ingredients

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped

1/2 c. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 c. good quality olive oil {extra virgin}

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Caprese Salad Ingredients

1 pound cherry tomatoes on the vine

1 tablespoon good quality olive oil {extra virgin}

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 pound Burrata or buffalo mozzarella

Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes, with their vines intact, on the rack. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Roast for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, or until the skins begin to shrivel like a raisin but the tomatoes remain plump. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and fragrant. Watch the pine nuts closely, because they burn easily. Pour onto a plate and let cool.

Transfer the pine nuts to a mortar, add the garlic, basil, parsley, and salt, and pulverize with a pestle to a smooth paste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, working it in with the pestle, then add the Parmesan cheese, again mixing well with the pestle.

Cut {or pull} mozzarella/Burrata cheese in half and open each half like a book, and season lightly with sea salt. Drizzle pesto over the cheese. Carefully place tomatoes on top and serve immediately.

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